The council have been accused of hiding in the long grass after announcing they have found SOME of the cash to reverse loathed grass-cutting changes following weeks of pressure.

But with almost £400,000 still needed to halt the current scheme of trimming only a border or path through unruly public green spaces – and to restore summer flower beds in the region’s parks – question marks hang over what difference this cash will actually make.

Yesterday, days ahead of a full council meeting which is set to see more pressure heaped on them, the SNP administration revealed a plan to plough £240,000 into the £660,000 Greenspace void created by budget cuts.

This cash – from the Scottish Government – was intended for use towards school clothing grants, council leader Jonathan McColl has admitted.

Added to £30,000 previously identified, the council say the money will allow them to plant some flowers in parks and cut some over-grown grass.

But they have warned it’s by no means an end to overgrown patches or biodiversity areas.

Valeview Terrace, Bellsmyre grass cutting. (Image: Lennox Herald)

Labour councillors have once again slammed the SNP administration for failing to admit mistakes and tackle local concerns head on.

The SNP have been called on again to use some of the £4million in reserves to completely reverse the landscape cuts on the back of “unprecedented” public anger.

Councillor David McBride said: “Come clean, own up and admit you made a mistake.

“Keep up the pressure – we can get them to reverse the cuts in full.”

This week Dumbarton and Vale residents ramped up their opposition to the “ridiculous” grass-cutting policy with two local mums telling us how their toddlers were left covered head-to-toe in nettle stings after playing in uncut grass.

Redburn area Bonhill grass cutting (Image: Lennox Herald)

The unpopular landscape changes formed part of the budget cuts which came into force in March.

The first noticeable impact was the turfing in and clearing out of flower beds in parks like Levengrove and Christie Park.

But as grass began to grow, the full force of the changes started to show across the region.

Councillor McBride said: “I have never known such public opposition to a budget saving that has been universally condemned by almost all residents.

“It is good that some money has been identified but the SNP must stop and listen to the people who care about our area.

“Our open space and residential grass areas are being turned into a slum existence where children can’t play and residents have to view this eyesore daily.

“In addition, the decision to grass over the beautiful bedding plants areas in our parks which are known for award- winning floral displays is shameful. “Not only is our area beginning to look unkempt and neglected and this is still only very early in the summer, seasonal jobs in Greenspace have been slashed to facilitate the decline.

“It is not too late to completely overturn these ill-judged and unnecessary cuts.

“We shouldn’t sit back and watch our local parks and communities be allowed to be neglected by councillors who are supposed to represent your views not ignore them.”

Redburn area, Bonhill (Image: Lennox Herald)

Councillor Ian Dickson, the SNP administration’s finance spokesperson, said: “Not one member of the public who filled in our budget consultation or any councillor who voted on the budget wanted to make cuts, and we’ve said all along that when extra money becomes available, we’ll seek to reinvest it in services.

“It’s very clear to us that a significant increase in grass cutting is a public priority and our Greenspace teams have also asked for some extra money to enhance their plans for this year’s summer bedding and wildflower displays, particularly within our parks and public open spaces.

“I’m delighted we have the resources now to deliver on both aspirations thanks to this extra investment from the Scottish Government.

“We’ll have a motion ready for Thursday’s council meeting and I’m hopeful that whole council will agree to allow this extra investment to be made.”

He added: “We’re asking Greenspce to be more ambitious with the flower beds and are going to trial a mix of perennial and annual flowers this year.”

Councillor Dickson went on to say the £240,000 would be used to ensure biodiversity plans were implemented in a “more appropriate” fashion.

Adding that this extra cash will help Greenspace manage the project much better, he said: “I think it will now be a case of if in doubt cut it where as before it was maybe if in doubt don’t cut it.”

Kids covered in nettle stings after playing in uncut grass

Angry mums have told how their toddlers were left covered in nettle stings after playing in uncut grass near their homes in Alexandria.

The council’s cutting policy has infuriated residents from Old Kilpatrick through to Balloch.

Mum Klair Sloss’s two-year-old son Colbie was left “screaming” in agony after trying to play on a patch of grass in a residential area.

She said: “My wee boy was playing outside his Nana’s in Redburn, rolling around on the grass and sliding down the hill having fun until he rolled smack bang into a patch of waste-high nettles.

“He was screaming – covered head to toe in rash as he was in shorts and a t-shirt. Nana also got covered trying to get to him and had to fling jackets over the nettles to getto him.

“Kids will roll down hills – it’s what they do.”

Colbie Sloss, 2, was covered head to toe in nettle stings after playing in long grass in Redburn. (Image: UGC MSR)

The mum also highlighted more health issues associated with the unkempt landscape.

“The fleas, midgies, ticks etc this long grass is attracting is ridiculous,” she said.

“Seriously, how about a wee drop in all these wages from the folk making all these budget cuts to make sure this doesn’t happen?

“Services go down to bare minimum where as the council tax and rent rates go higher than ever – it’s daylight robbery.

“And on top of that it looks as scabby as anything – it’s ridiculous.

“Get it cut.”

Another mum, Leona Gill,also how her two-year-old son Jordan got a “really big fright” after being badly stung by nettles while playing in the same area.

Meanwhile Dumbarton resident Sean Davenport took to Twitter to speak out against the more than £660,000 March budget saving which has left many parts of the area looking an “absolute mess”. The 33-year-old admin worker has been pressing West Dunbartonshire Council to reverse the cuts for several weeks.

Mr Davenport told the Lennox: “It’s ridiculous that locals are left with this eyesore all over West Dunbartonshire, it reflects very badly on the area.

“There was money available to avoid these cuts, however, they chose not to utilise it.

“I realise that the money in reserves is one-off and have often heard it referred to as money set aside for a rainy day, well if it’s not raining heavy enough for them now then it’ll never get used.“

The angry resident added: “Since the cuts have begun to become evident, I have made contact with both Council Leader Jonathan McColl and Councillor Ian Dickson, both of whom have an entrenched position of defending their actions and the subsequent outcome.

“They have continually quoted the budget consultation carried out, a consultation completed by less than five percent of the population of West Dunbartonshire.

“I’m disgusted by the entrenched position that the SNP group have taken on this when they can clearly see the mess it is making.

“As a local resident I call upon them to reverse the cuts to Greenspace. They have the opportunity to do so at the forthcoming council meeting on Thursday, May 31, and I would urge them to do so.”